


The Time Vault

by ConsultingJedi221b



Series: Febuwhump 2021 [3]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Day 3, FebuWhump2021, Febuwhump, Gen, Imprisonment, knocked out, s2ep17 Flash Back
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 12:34:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29189370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConsultingJedi221b/pseuds/ConsultingJedi221b
Summary: Febuwhump No. 3: ImprisonmentWhat if the scene when Barry wakes up in the time vault with Thawne went differently?Or: The one where Thawne doesn't believe Barry's bluff about the hidden letter.
Relationships: Barry Allen & Eobard Thawne | Harrison Wells
Series: Febuwhump 2021 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2139189
Kudos: 18
Collections: febuwhump 2021





	The Time Vault

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again!!  
> I know this is really late, but here its still the 3rd, so...  
> I hope you enjoy!  
> There are a few quotes that are from canon in this story, so disclaimer: I do not own The Flash nor any of the characters.

Barry listened to Eobard Thawne’s ramblings halfheartedly. After already trying and failing to get out of the cuff on his wrist, he had begun focusing on other ways to escape. As Thawne spoke about how his plan couldn’t fail, and how he  _ would _ get home, Barry’s mind raced as he tried to come up with a way to bluff his way out. He knew that, once Thawne realized he didn’t need Barry, along with the anger he would feel at knowing his plan failed, there would be nothing stopping him from sticking his hand straight through his chest and killing him right there.

As Eobard grew increasingly more volatile, Barry worked even harder to find a solution. 

_ How could he possibly make one of the smartest people in the multiverse believe they couldn’t kill him? _

_ Especially when said person also hated him with a searing passion. _

Barry was jerked out of his thoughts by the sound of a chair being kicked across the room. He scrambled back as Thawne turned towards him, fuming. He had finally come to the conclusion that his plan to get to his own timeline fails, and that it was not necessary to keep Barry alive. 

“...I don’t get to go home and if that’s the case, well then,” he said, his voice rising with each syllable. Thawne brought his already raised hand, vibrating towards Barry’s chest.

He needed to act now. 

“No, no, no! It’s the opposite. You trick me, you harness my speed. You won,” he says, desperately, hoping it's enough to keep him alive.

It seemed to work, at least for a moment. But, as he feared, Thawne worked out the flaw in his statement. There was still no reason for him not to kill Barry. Killing this version of Barry Allen would not affect Eobard’s future, or his plan in any way.

_ Oops. _

As Thawne once again turned towards Barry, his features lighting up at the prospect of killing his nemesis, Barry frantically laid out his final plan.

Hoping that Thawne wouldn’t realize the obvious lie, he tried his best to look confident. “If you kill me, this Barry,  _ your  _ Barry, he learns it all. There’s a hidden letter, telling him how it ends. If anything happens to me, you  _ never _ make it back home.”

Thawne looked thoughtful for a moment, before smirking. “You see, I would believe you. It was a brilliant lie, really. Especially because you just came up with it.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

Thawne continued, ignoring Barry. “There’s just a couple of flaws in your idea. You see, if my plan truly succeeded, you,” he pauses, kneeling in front of Barry, “would be dead. You really think I would leave this timeline without first accomplishing my goal? That’s the whole reason I came here in the first place. To kill you.”

Barry’s stomach sinks as he realizes his bluff failed. His heart starts beating rapidly as panic threatens to take hold, but he manages to not let his fear show and level a glare at Thawne. He can’t stop himself from tugging again at the restraint shackling his wrist to the chair. Like his previous attempts, he achieves nothing, leaving him trapped in the time vault with a man who has wanted him dead for years.

Thawne has risen to his feet again, and is circling Barry, almost hungrily.

“You see, I wanted to kill you. But now I see a better option, you running back here has presented the perfect opportunity. My plan might have failed before, but now, I have you. You can tell me exactly where my plan failed. So tell me, Barry Allen, what went wrong?”

Barry starts to continue with his bluff, but before he can say anything, Thawne is back in front of him. “And let’s drop the act, hmm? You and I both know what really happened. So, I’ll ask again,” he pauses, bringing one hand down to brush against Barry’s leg. He jumps at the contact, he has never felt so  _ helpless  _ before, unable to move away as Thawne grips his leg tighter. “What. Went. Wrong.”

Barry swallows but stays silent. 

Eobard just sighs and stands, moving behind Barry. “You know, the thing about time travel is that at your time, no matter how long you stay here, it will be like you barely even left. I can keep you here for a long time without messing up the timeline at all.”

As Thawne was about to continue, they both turned towards the wall as a faint, “Dr. Wells?” could be heard from the hallway outside.

_ Cisco. _

Before he could even decide whether it would be worth risking the timeline to shout for his friend’s help though, a sudden punch to his jaw has his vision going dark as he falls into unconsciousness.

“Oh no, Barry, you don’t get to leave that easily.”

…

Barry comes to awareness slowly, his eyelids fluttering as his mind works to fill in the events of the past few hours. 

_ Thawne. _

He jolts the rest of the way awake as he frantically looks around in search of his nemesis. When he determines he is alone, Barry then takes the time to take in his surroundings. He was still in the time vault, but instead of being cuffed to the chair as he had been earlier, now his wrists were restrained slightly above his head by cuffs attached to the wall, forcing him to stay in his seated position. As he tries to move his tongue to ease the dryness of his mouth, he realizes he has also been gagged. A piece of fabric has been tied roughly around his head, effectively silencing any calls for help he might have made.

He tries to phase through his restraints, but, like the one on the chair, it gets him nowhere. Barry is left with nothing to do but wait for Thawne to come back, and try to stall long enough to come up with some kind of plan to escape. 

As he waits, his arms begin to ache from holding the same position for so long, and his wrists are bloody from his fruitless attempts to escape the bindings. In order to take his mind off of the pain, and the inevitable return of Thawne, Barry goes over the speed equation, over and over again. Trying to solve at least one of his problems.

Eventually he gives up on that too, getting frustrated with his repeated failures of puzzling it out. His hands have fallen asleep by the time the wall opens, and Thawne enters in his wheelchair. 

It angers Barry to see him in the chair, knowing how he deceived him and his team for so long. Made them trust him before betraying all of them. Their one triumph had been finally beating him, but now, if he got his way, Thawne might take that away from them too.

Barry was determined not to let that happen. 

Eobard gets out of his chair and walks over to Barry. He looks almost giddy. “Finally, after all these years, I have you completely at my mercy. So helpless.” He reaches out and runs his hand down the side of Barry’s face, causing him to flinch away. “So…” he brings his hand up to Barry’s chest, hovering right over his heart, “fragile. I could kill you right now, so easily, and you could do nothing to stop me.”

Barry just glares, unable to answer.

“But don’t worry, I won’t kill you, yet. Not until I have my answers. Unfortunately I don’t have long now, I’ve got to keep up appearances you know, but believe me, you will tell me where my plan went wrong.”

He stands up again and walks over to his chair, sitting down. Once more the genius, but certainly not evil, Harrison Wells.

“Get some rest, Flash,” he says, before he leaves the room.

As the wall closes, Barry is once again left alone in his very own prison cell, no one in this timeline even knowing he’s there.

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading!  
> Please excuse any time travel or logic errors, time travel is very confusing...  
> Anyways, feedback is always appreciated, and have a wonderful day!!  
> :)
> 
> (Oh, and this will probably be continued at some point, so be on the look out!)


End file.
